The Glass Kunoichi: Chapter 8
by The Otaku Writing Freaks
Summary: In a world of shinobi, your abilities are everything and Akane Kato has a particularly dangerous bloodline jutsu possessing unheard of defensive capabilities. Word of her talent falls on evil ears one day and an adventure unlike any other mission she's had before is set in motion.


An: I feel like I should mention here that I forgot to include Dracanoth's name on some of the other chapters. Just know that anytime Haru speaks or has a fighting scene that he wrote it. This is a collaboration as of the point where the prince joins the story.

The Glass Kunoichi

by Spottedleaf9 and Dracanoth Dereal

Chapter 8

The first thing Hidan did was plunge his own weapon into his chest; looking at me for some reason. Then I felt it; for what was only the second time in my entire life, I felt the pain of an enemy's attack. Screaming, I fell to my knees; the blood pooling around me. Staring at the sticky red life force on my hands, I shook. "W…what? You…you touched me? That's impossible…"

"You're in my sacrifice circle. Anything I do to myself is done to you double so. I also managed to negate your ability." His grin grew and he drew the blade across his throat; threatening me. "How does that feel, you fucking smug little shit? How's it feel to bleed? Tell me…scream for Jashin, bitch." I was already dizzy from blood loss and wandered vaguely what story this Hidan man was going to tell his superiors as to why I was dead despite orders to be captured alive.

He stabbed himself again and I fell off the trunk of the tree; hitting the ground and sending up dust. I could hear fighting on the other side of the bushes. Naruto was yelling something about me and Lee was saying that he shouldn't worry because his youthfulness would save me.

Laughing manically, Hidan came over to me and kicked me. "You're one weak fucking ninja." I screamed again; clutching the hip that was probably broken now. "I didn't even have to use the circle that much. Two moves. That's all it took me to render you a puddle of tears on the ground. Konoha lets anyone be a ninja these days, huh? Useless garbage if you ask me. I don't know what Pain thinks he's doing recruiting you. Ultimate Defense my ass." Spitting on me, he reached down to grab me by a leg and started dragging me through the undergrowth in that rough manner. _But….I'm only a genin…what do you expect? I just…started taking on missions…This can't be happening. Things like don't happen…._ My calm process of rational thought was trying to fly out the window and I was trying to hold it down by the wings and remain calm.

Breaking through the bushes, Kakashi's headband struck Hidan across the face and he dropped me. With a crunch, the fracture in my hip finished tearing and I had a clean break. Shrieking in pain, I curled, the blood from my stomach wounds seeping out of my midsection and trickling from the corners of my mouth. "Bastard!" He swore at Hidan, which was something that struck me as oddly out of character for my beloved teacher. "You keep your filthy hands off her! You won't have Akane…not on my watch."

With a bored sigh, Hidan whipped out his blade in one motion; catching Kakashi square across his upper back as it was turned on Hidan so he could pick me up. From the bushes, Naruto and Lee continued to furiously fight Kakuzu; a voice to which I knew no face. I was sure Haru felt useless, unable to do anything but watch, or choose to reveal himself. A spurt of blood traveled out of Kakashi's mouth and I screamed again; this time in fear and emotional pain. "Kakashi-sensei!" Struggling to stand, I began to crawl as Hidan advanced on me. I knew I must not allow myself to be taken in by the enemy; at any cost. Dragging my broken lower half behind me, I progressed much too slowly through the dirt; leaving a streak of red where my stomach had been pressed to the ground.

Hidan's foot planted softly in the small of my back. "Stop squirming you dumb bitch. I could break your spine right now. Would you like that? I'm going to pick you up and you're going to release the jutsu on me so that I do not have to worry about you rebelling against me in the middle of the night with the attack chakra I built up stabbing you twice."

I grinned with bloody lips and spit back at him in response; not even gracing the Akatsuki with words. His grin never having left his face, he smiled. "Very well. I'll kill the fucking jounin with the one Sharingan." I stiffened and froze up completely; words leaving me with nothing to do. _Not Kakashi-sensei….leave him alone!_

"That's what I thought…" Smirking at me, Hidan picked me up as I put a few rapid hand signals together and spoke the words of jutsu release.

As much as I only wanted to obey the rules, it seemed I was destined to continue failing as a shinobi.

Then a voice of hope incarnate spoke and I realized it was Naruto; running toward me as Hidan walked slowly and confidently away from the scene. "GET UP AND FIGHT, AKANE! Kakashi is your father, baka! He's bleeding to death, damn it!" Crouching beside our incapacitated teacher, Naruto cast me a troubled look. Now there really was nothing I could do because I felt frozen by the sudden revelation that had been delivered to me. My wounds stopped hurting and for a moment, all I could see where the times Kakashi had carried me when I broke my leg or the tender way he handled me. I could see every occasion where he had been more than a teacher to me and it all finally made sense. Kakashi-sensei knew so much about my past because he was really Kakashi-otosan. This all whirled through my mind in the time it took me to come up with a reply to Naruto.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-chan. I…I….I can't let them kill him if that's true. I'll do whatever I can to save him; even if it's just for now and I have to betray my nation to do it. I won't let him go because…if he's really my dad then he's literally the only family I have left." My heart was sick. I really didn't want to leave and essentially commit a war crime in going so peacefully with the enemy when they intended to use my talent against my people. I caught Haru's eyes as he stood watching this scene unfold and they looked horrified; blown wide with anger. It was an odd emotion that I thought didn't fit the gentle orbs of light blue.

Unwilling to face what I had done, I closed my eyes and let go. This was me giving up my name as a shinobi of Konoha to save a man who could _possibly_ be my kin. I was almost to the edge of the clearing on Hidan's back when Kakuzu rejoined us and Haru spoke; next to Lee and Naruto at Kakashi's side.

His innocent face took on a more serious look than I had ever seen before, all his innocence drained away, and he looked at me. He was older than me but yet his face always had a young aspect. In that exact instant, all looks of being young dissipated and he looked like a fully grown man as he spoke to me. "Do not give up, do not let yourself become a caged animal. Life is experiencing things to the fullest all the way into the end, as a free spirit. If your spirit is taken from you there is nothing. Your father would want you to keep your spirit even if it meant his death."

Growing exasperated, Hidan gave me an elbow to the stomach. "Shut up." My air left me and I lost consciousness; just as Kakashi had.


End file.
